Landing gear



Sept. 1, 1925.

, 1,552,258 P. G. ZIMMERMANN LANDING GEAR Filed Aug. 23, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet l A} INVENTOR r 5/ 2" A 7701mm Sept. 1, 1925. 1,552,258

P. G. ZIMMERMANN LANDING GEAR Filed Aug. 23,.1921 4 sheets-sheet 2 W 4 INZ ENTOR BY v ATM/W53 LANDING GEAR Filed Aug. 25, 1921 .4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept 1, 1925.

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P. G. ZIMMERMANN LANDING GEAR Filed Aug. 23, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A TTORNE Y Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

MED. srarss arena Erica.

PAUL G. ZIMMERMANN, 0F KE'TPORT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AEROMARINE PLANE & MOTOR COMPANY, OF NEW YQRK, 1?. Y1, A CQRPQRATIGN (335 NEW YORK.

LANDING GEAR.

Application filed August 23, 1921. Serial He. 4%,482.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL G. ZIMMERMANN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident ofKeyport, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Landing Gears, of which the following is a specifier.- tion. l

The invention comprises improvements in landing gears for aero lanes. having for their objects, amen ct iers, simplification and cheapening of t e construction, greater strength and durability, and increased capacity for the discharge of the landing gear functions. These ends are attained by certain novel features of construction and relationship and combinations of parts which will now be briefly explained by reference to the preferred embodiment, and hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a I part hereof;

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, showing, a proximately one-half of the said em 0 iment of the landing gear;

Fi 2 is an inner side elevation on a smaller scale, resulting from a section taken in a plane transverse to the axle and spacers;

Fig. 3 is an enlar ed fragmentary detail taken in the centra vertical longitudinal plane of the axle on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a corresponding detail view, taken in a transverse plane through the axle on the line 1-4 of Fig. 3; 1

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the bent-on rubber guard;

Fig.6 is an end view thereof; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail section taken longitudinally of the end portion of one of the spacers and transversely to the main strht member, with parts in the plane of sectionshown in elevation.v

The landing gear comprises two V-strut side frames 1 projecting downward from the main framework of the machine, as is usual, only one of these frames and one of the wheels 2 bein shown in the drawings, as the opposite side is a duplication. The numeraL 3 designates the brackets secured to the these tubular frames as far as possible and to avoid brazing and welding thereon.

The axle 5 is strapped in the crotches of the strut frames by elastics 6, which are wrapped over the axle and under the bent portions of the frames. The said elastics or rubbers are retained in position upon the frame between the ears 7 of a rubber guard, which is marked generally 8. This rubber guard comprises split end portions 9, each of which includes a split collar 10 to embrace one of the strut members adjacent the crotch, and the two halves of the ears 7 which extend laterally and downwardly from the collar. the fitting are united by a saddle or connecting portion 11 intergral with the tops of the collars and adapted to lie in the crotch of the frame From this saddle portion two studs 12 project upward to pass through holes in a saddle block 13, upon which the axle rests, the saddle block being secured by the said studs and nuts 14, which engage The two split portions of with the studs in recesses in the top of the block. A rubber guard constructed in this general manner, of suitable material, is adapted to be bent onto the tubular strut frame without other means of attachment than is afforded by bolts 15 passed through perforated lugs 16 on the halves of the terminal portions below the collar.

Upon the axle the rubber or rubbers are ,confined and protected by a spool 17 having between an en retainin .on the axle and the whee n lan ing, by guide slots, as is usually the I casei is free to move as it will, upward, lateral y and endwise, under the restraint and limitation only of the elastics and of a limit" wire-21 of suitable length, which extends loosely over the axle, its ends secured to the members of the strut frame at opposite sides of the crotch in a manner which will resently be described. This freedom 0 the axle results in easier landing and avoids a substantial amount of wear and rigidly ap; plied stress, besides eliminating a fixture upon the strut frame.

The remaining attachments on the strut frame comprisea pair of clips, marked generally 22, which are clamped or bolted to the portions of the frame adjacent and at opposite sides of the crotch. The outer por tlons of these clips serve as anchorages for the twolends of the limit wire 21, and their inner portions serve bothto receive the ends of .spacers 23, which extend acrossbetween the strut frames in the usual manner, and to aiford anchorages for familiar diagonal cross tension wires 24 which run to the niain frame of the machine. J

The precise form of these clips may be varied. In the preferred construction, each clip comprises a fitting 25 at the inner side of the frame strut and a bolt 26- which passes through the base of thefitting and the tubular strut and is provided at its outer end with an eye or anchor 27 for the limit wire. The fitting 25 for the reception of the cross-spacer preferably comprises a, rectangular U-shaped bent-up member, presenting a base 28 pierced by the bolt, and side members 29, which are pierced for a transverse bolt 30 by which the end of the spacer is pinned to the fitting, a flexible socket connection being thus provided. A bent base iece 31 is welded or otherwise united to the ack of the body of the fitting, enabling the fitting to seat upon the curved surface of the strut, and the whole is clamped in place by means of the bolt and a nut 32 screwed upon the inner end of the bolt between the side portions 29. The anchorage for the lower end of each tension wire 24 on the clip is afforded in an advantageous manner by a lug 33 bent up from the base 28v of the fitting between and above the side portions 29, the end of the lug presenting an eye, as seen in Fig. 1. Iclaim:

1. ha landing gear, and in combination with the axle, a continuous tube bent into a V-strut frame, and a split rubber guard bent around the crotch portion of said frame to receive rubbers wrapped over'the axle and I and guard ear halves extending laterally I and downwardly from said collar portions.

3. A rubber V-strut frame 0%: landing gear, comprising ard for application to a split end portions formed to embrace the I membersiof the frame at opposite sides of the crotch and to present guard ears, and a connecting portion following the crotch.

4. A rubber ard for application to a V-strut frame 0 a landing gear, comprising a saddle portion to lie inthe crotch of the frame, and split end rtions formed to embrace the frame and to present guard ears, studs projecting upward from said saddle portion, and a saddle block secured on the saddle portion by said studs.

5. In a landing gear, and in combination with a V-strut ame and an unguided axle elastic-strapped 1n the crotch, a limit wire extending over, the axle, anda clip on said frame presenting at the inner side thereof a fitting for the reception of a. cross-spacer and at the outer side of the frame presenting an anchorage forsaid limit wire.

6. In a landing gear, and in combination with a V-strut frame, an unguided axle elastic-strapped in the crotch of the frame, and across-spacer a fitting at the inner side of the frame for the reception of the end of the cross-spacer, a bolt passing throu h the frame strut to secure said fitting an have ing anchoring means at its outer end, and a limit wire extending over the axle secured to said anchoring means. 7

7. In a landing gear, and in combination with a V-strut frame, an unguided axle elastic-strapped in the crotch of the frame, a cross-spacer, a diagonal cross-tension wire, and a limit wire extending over the unguided axle, a clip on said frame presenting at the inner side thereof a fitting for the reception of the end of the spacer and an anchorage for the diagonal cross-tension wire and at the outer side of the frame presenting an anchorage for the limit wire.

8. In a.' landing gear, and in combinationwith a V-strut frame, an unguided axle elastic-strapped in the crotch of the frame, a cross-spacer, a diagonal cross-tension wire, and a limitwire extending over the on guided axle, a fitting at the inner side of .the frame strut formed to receive the end of the cross-spacer and also havin an an chorage for the diagonal cross-tension wire, and a bolt passing through the frame strut to secure said fitting and having an anchorage at its outer end for the limit wire.

9. In a landing gear, and in combination and a wheel, a retaining collar fixed on the 1 with a V-strut frame, an axle, and an elastic end of the axle, a Spool over which the elasholdin the same in the crotch of the frame, tie is wrapped floating on the axle at the ina spoo over which the elastic is wrap d ner side of the wheel, and a disk wheel- 5 floating on the axle, and a wheel-guard isk guard on the outer end of said floatin 0n the outer end of said spool. spool, the wheel being confined between said 15 10. In a landi gear, and in combination floating spool and its guard on the one hand with a V-strut i' rame, an axle, an elastic and the retainin collar on the other hand. holding the same in the crotch of the frame, PAllL G. ZIMMERMANN. 

